A Lansdale family is working to move forward and get back on their feet after a Christmas-week fire gutted their home, destroyed most of their belongings and took the lives of their two pets.
The Guertse family lost nearly everything in the fire the afternoon of Dec. 21, including old photo albums, clothing, and family keepsakes. A few pieces of jewelry survived. The family is waiting to hear from the insurance company about pumping water out from the basement, which had about two to three feet of water in it, so there may still be other salvageable items.
"You can replace furniture, the little things, but I mean, those memories, those physical objects, it's not something you can replace,” said Kristin Comitale. "It's heartbreaking. It doesn't feel real. You don't realize, when you have those things, how they can be gone in a blink of an eye.”
Donations continue to the Guertse family through
the official GoFundMe page. As of Monday evening, the page raised more than $48,000 of its $100,000 goal from more than 600 donors.
"I don't know where we would be right now without all of the support,” Kristin said. "Neighbors that we just used to wave to, they went way out of their way to collect donations, set up drop off points for us. It's unreal. I never want to leave this area, because of the community outreach.”
Agencies and officials have also been assisting the family, including Manna on Main Street, Pa. Rep. Steve Malagari, Trinity Lutheran Church, Round Guys Brewing Co., West Main Diner, and Scent & Sip.
"Everything that's going on in the world right now, you kind of lose hope in the politics, the politicians, all that stuff. He is just, without any hesitation, there for us and our family,” Kristin said regarding Rep. Malagari’s support. "He's going to help my parents with those important documents they lost — birth certificates, Social Security cards, all that stuff. It means the absolute world to me. It really makes me have some faith in humanity.”
Currently the family is staying in a hotel until they hear back from the insurance company, so they can get a temporary apartment or house until their house is rebuilt.
The house was insured, but the two stress that their insurance can only cover so much.
"There still going to be a lot of out-of-pocket costs for this. I don't want to disclose the exact amount, but that's what the GoFundMe and all of those gift cards are for — the rebuild of the house, furniture, appliances,” Kristin said. "The rebuild of the house is going to be very costly.”
Thanks to all of the donations they’ve received, the family has enough clothing for the moment. Once the family is able to take the next step and leave the hotel, either to move into temporary housing or after their house has been rebuilt, they may need more support to help them afford furniture and other household items. For now, they say, the gift cards and donations made via the GoFundMe are greatly appreciated.
Currently, the family is waiting to hear from their insurance company and the inspector to pinpoint how and where the fire started.
Kristin and Keri are especially grateful for the first responders who helped extinguish the fire and made sure their family and others nearby were safe, as well as for the community’s outpouring of support.
"Just like we said so many times, the love, the support, everything, it's truly amazing and we feel so blessed to be a part of this community,” Keri Comitale said.
To donate, visit
the official GoFundMe page. Locations to drop off donations of gift cards and goods:
- State Rep. Steve Malagari’s office, 100 West Main Street, Suite 110, Lansdale, during normal business hours
- Round Guys Brewing Company, 324 West Main Street, Lansdale, during normal hours of operation
- Scent and Sip, 323 West Main Street, Lansdale, during normal hours of operation
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